A New Time to Love
by DamselInDistress64
Summary: NEW MOON- What would have happened if Bella really had kissed Jacob's shoulder after her fateful cliff jump? Their relationship blossoms from there, but, of course, Bella's past comes back to haunt her. Will Jacob and Bella's relationship last? Please R
1. New Beginning

**Hi! So now you may know that I have another story up thats a sort of love triangle between Jake, Bella, and Edward, but this story is solely Bella/Jake!**

_**PLease review! (no updates if reviews don't exceed 10 reviews a chapter)**_

**Thank you! **

**I do not own Twilight or any of the characters, Stephenie Meyer the genius does :)**

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_Jacob felt me stiffen and released me automatically, reaching for the door._

Shaking off my momentary revere, I called out to him before he could open the door.

"Jacob, wait!" I choked out before I lost my nerve.

He turned back to me, his hand still extended towards the door handle. His expression was slightly confused.

"What, Bella?"

I swallowed, still wavering on indecision. Would it really be so simple?

Well, _now_ what was I supposed to say? I could just tell him my feelings, but I didn't want to be abrupt. Was there an appropriate way to voice my emotions?

Staring into his dark eyes, I knew that it was now or never. Our relationship was a strong band, but the lines of friendship were always being blurred by Jacob's feelings for me. But I could love him back. I had those feelings, or at least I could try to obtain those feelings. I knew that they were probably overshadowed by my past, anyways.

Well, I knew that I didn't have words for this moment, so I gathered my courage, taking a deep breath through my nose.

Leaning forward, I let my hair swing off of my shoulder, the tips of it brushing his face. Placing one hand gently on his knee, I inclined my head slightly, as if to ask permission to close the inches between our faces.

Jacob's eyes widened, the confusion vanishing, replaced with incredulity. He realized where my hesitation had come from, and I saw his eyes burn with a cautious hope, almost as if he wasn't sure that I was for real.

"Bella…?" he murmured, searching my face. Like me, he was past words. His warm, large hand reached up to touch my face hesitantly, still unsure of my reaction. After all, I was always the one to enforce that we were just friends.

With my other hand, I touched his hand that was on my face, reassuring him that this was what I wanted. I had made my decision, finally.

Closing the gap between our faces, I pressed my lips gently to his, still touching his burning hand.

This wasn't like my first kiss with Edward, but not in a bad way. With Edward, my blood boiled, and I craved for every inch of him. With Jacob, the fiery feeling was still there, but it smoldered rather than burning. Kissing Jacob made me realize how much I really, truly cared about him. Those romantic feelings had been overshadowed by Edward's lingering presence all along.

It felt like a heavy blanket had been cast off of me and finally, finally, I was free from my grim past.

Now, Jacob was my future.

I slid closer to him, and wrapped my arms around his waist, pressing my hands onto his warm, bare back. His hand left my face, and in return he secured me to his muscular chest. Jacob sighed, and parted our lips; I could taste his woody, musky scent on my tongue.

As our kiss intensed, I fleetingly remembered that Edward always kept a guard up when we made physical contact, to protect me from the danger. The hole in my stomach prickled, but Jacob's close contact smothered it. This was a first for me; I had never kissed anyone like this before.

Not wanting to take things too far, I pulled away reluctantly, our lips brushing as we parted.

As our eyes met, the exultation in Jacob's eyes was well worth the bold move I had made, and it almost took my breath away. He was glowing; finally, after all of this time, he had gotten what he wanted.

"I'm sorry if I was too abrupt," I apologized softly, after a couple of awed seconds had passed. "It's just that when we were sitting here, I was wondering what it would be like… to be with you." I smiled at him gently. "I was thinking of making a move, but then you pulled away."

He laughed huskily. "Well, I'm just glad that you spoke up, then." Tentatively, like he was afraid that I'd pull away, he touched my face again, trailing his fingers along my jaw line and all the way down to the contours of my collarbone. "I'm _so _glad that you did."

I felt my heart swelling with content, and I knew right then and there that our relationship was going to take a turn for the better, and my life in general would began to really heal for good. Jacob had already helped me tremendously with his friendship; with his romance, I could truly forget my past and move on with him by my side.

"Thank you," I spoke up, voicing my thoughts. "I guess I never really thanked you properly for what you've done for me, Jake."

He raised an eyebrow at the change of topic. "For what?"

I smiled, a bit wistful. "Everything. For taking care of me after they left, and for still sticking around even though I'm kind of a mess. I've improved, though," I added, "and I think it's because of you. It doesn't really hurt now when I think about… him."

Wordlessly, Jacob took my face in his big, brown hands and leaned down to kiss me gently, tenderly this time, like he was holding a treasure. I welcomed his warm lips; it felt so natural to kiss him, and it made me feel at ease, like medication on a wound, making everything better.

When he finished kissing me, it felt like I was floating on cloud nine, and if Jacob hadn't been holding me I might have left the ground. Resting my forehead on Jacob's, I knew that this was going too be a beautiful relationship.

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**Alice P.O.V.**

I flitted out of me car, following her obvious scent. This was probably an old trail, considering the fact that she had jumped off of that cliff… I bit my lip, curious, and I found myself unable to keep on following Bella's trail.

Coincidentally, it lead to her house, and up to her car. Oh. My hopes sank as I realized that this was most likely an old trail. But just in case, clinging onto the slim trail of hope, I went to go check it out.

Sneaking along the edges of the bushes, I made it to the fender of her car, and scooted along the rusty outer rim until I was crouched beneath the driver's side window. _Well, here goes nothing._

Carefully, so I didn't have a chance of being seen, I raised myself until my eye was just peering into the window, barely getting a glimpse inside.

That glimpse was just about all I needed to see.

Ducking back down, I pressed my back against the door, eyes wide. So she had changed her mind; she hadn't jumped off of that cliff, after all. She couldn't have possibly survived it if she did. Well, this wasn't completely unexpected, but it still caught me off guard to see Bella cozying it up with another man. Why was I so surprised?

It just seemed like I couldn't imagine Bella with anyone but Edward. I'd sort of been thinking that she would be a mess, after he left her. After _we_ left her.

Sighing, I slinked back to my car. Well, at least she was safe, and now my job here was done.

Should I tell Edward? He'd have to know, eventually. Maybe it would ease his pain slightly, to know that she was happy…

Or maybe not. But regardless, I'd have to tell him someday.

* * *

"I'll come down around one-ish then," I promised, squeezing his large hand. We were sitting under my front door, saying our reluctant goodbyes for the night. He frowned impatiently, his broad lips pulling down into a grimace.

"Are you sure I can't hang around until Charlie gets here? C'mon, Bella, you know he would be fine with us going out…"

I rolled my eyes. It was true; if it was any other day, Charlie would be happy that we had finally gotten together, and probably a bit smug, too. But today wasn't the best day, with the Clearwater's situation and all. We'd ease him into this one.

"I know he wouldn't, but nows not the best time."

His cheerful visage clouded slightly as he remembered the current situation. Jaw tightening, he nodded slowly. "Right. I guess I should be going then… since things aren't finished up with the female yet." Shaking off his moody feelings, he bent down to kiss me goodbye.

I wrapped my arms around his neck, and tangled my finger's in his silky hair, securing his face to mine. Kissing Jacob was something that I could just not get enough of now, and it felt like I would never let go of him. This level of physical contact was something that I wasn't used to.

Determined to at least give him a parting impression, I caught his full lower lip between mine and pulled on it gently. A low, rough sound came from his throat, a sound of surprise, and his hands found their way under my shirt and onto my lower back, pressing his hands there, binding me to his body.

Before things went any further, I heard the sound of the cruiser turn into my driveway. It was Charlie, coming home earlier than I had expected. Pulling away, we hastily detangled our fierce embrace, Jacob removing his hands from under my shirt and shoving them into his pockets, shooting a guilty grin in my direction. With a quick kiss on my forehead, he ran down the porch steps and was out of sight before Charlie had a prayer of seeing him.

Sighing, I stepped out onto the driveway to greet Charlie and the misery that would envelop me now that I was temporarily separated from Jacob.

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**Thank you for reading! I am busy with two stories at the moment, so I'll try to update soon- but I'll only update if I get 10 reviews or more! Thanks, please review!**


	2. Never Did Anything to Deserve You

**I am sooo sorry for the wait! So much crap going on.**

**Here is the second chapter, please enjoy :)

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The dwindling, familiar roar of the Rabbit alerted me before I actually saw him.

Shoving aside my extensive pile of homework, I jumped up from my desk, knocking the chair over in haste to get to my window. That was Jacob, all right, but what was he doing here? I checked my wristwatch, confirming the fairly early hour. Only 11:30 on the dot. What the heck was he doing?

I darted across my room, and yanked the door out of my way, thumping down the stairs. Charlie shot me a questioning glance from the couch where he lolled, watching the football game attentively. Ignoring him, I made my way over to the front door, and pulled it open, peaking out.

Jacob was getting out of his car, seemingly in a hurry. As he made his way up the driveway, he caught me looking at him questioningly. He shot me a quick, gleaming smile and jogged the rest of the way, stepping lithely up the stairs to where I was waiting.

I raised my eyebrows at him, waiting for his broach. He leaned forward, like he was going to kiss me- Right in my doorway? That was crossing the line! - but he inclined his head until his lips were against my ear, whispering in his husky, low voice.

"Billy knows about us, and he was gonna call Charlie, but I told him to hold off until I could at least talk to him myself. I figured I'd better be here before the old man gets impatient and calls anyways…"

I pulled back sharply, my eyes widening with astonishment, and then faint paroxysm; Charlie could only take so much big news at the moment.

I sneaked a look over my shoulder, to where Charlie was still settled in front of the television, his eyes fixated. He hadn't heard our exchange, at least. I bit my lip, contemplating. We didn't really have a choice, at this point…

Turning back to Jacob, I registered the nervous excitement that shone in his dark, earnest eyes, and it gave me a tiny bit of courage; he was favorite by far, the son of his best friend. If Charlie didn't like the way things were, at least I would have Jacob. He was all I needed, when it came down to it.

Sighing, I stared into his hopeful eyes, seeking reassurance. He smiled back at me, and reached out to take my hand lightly. With a knowing, impish glance in Charlie's direction, confirming that he was completely oblivious, he brought a finger to his lips, signifying that I be quiet. I frowned, not comprehending. Suddenly, he trapped my face between his strong hands and brought his warm lips to mine, silencing my bubbling question. My first reaction was to pull away- Charlie could hear us!- but I found that I didn't care, because the time that I had spent away from him yesterday, he was on my mind constantly. Kissing him was like coming back home, to where I loved.

So I kissed him back, twining my fingers in his silky black hair, pulling him against me. He shoved me up against the doorway, but not in a way to cause me pain. It took me all I had not to make some noise of pleasure, to keep my breath down, to make my gasps for air quieter.

"Bella, who's at the door?"

Charlie's suspicious voice snapped us out of the moment, breaking us apart. Silently, I smoothed out my hair and shirt, whipping some of my lip gloss off of Jacob's lips, removing evidence of our little moment in the doorway.

"Lets go," I mouthed, taking his hand once again, and then calling out to Charlie, "Be right there, Dad!"

Squeezing my hand once more, Jacob led me into the room where Charlie was waiting. His eyes popped open when he saw who the visitor was, and brightened up. I took that as a good sign.

"Hey, kid, how are you? Haven't, er, seen you around in awhile," he greeted Jacob, his voice hinting at Jacob's abrupt and unexplained absence. Charlie's eyes raked over his appearance, taking in his tall frame, and slightly disheveled look. I swallowed guiltily, hoping he didn't pick up on the subtle sheen to his lips, due to our kiss. Jacob smiled sheepishly, sliding his hand into his other pocket. Charlie's eyes roved over the gesture, and then to the other hand, which was enveloping mine.

His eyes narrowed slightly, but he otherwise he did not comment.

"Hi, Charlie," Jacob's smile widened into an irresistibly relaxed grin, and Charlie's eyes snapped back up to meet Jacob's. "Yeah, it's been awhile." He cleared his throat amiably. "Sorry about that. There was a… misunderstanding." Je shot me a quick glance. "But it's all good now. We worked it out."

Charlie nodded distractedly; he hadn't missed the knowing look that Jacob had given me. "That's good."

I bit my lip, widening my eyes a little at Jacob, signaling for him to go on.

"Actually, thing worked out…really well." He paused, waiting for Charlie's reaction before he went on. Charlie's expression didn't change. "Better than I expected," he hinted, trying to clue him in. Charlie's lips pursed, his brow furrowing, but otherwise he looked calm enough.

"Where are you going with this, Jake?" he asked carefully, his eyes flickering to our entwined hands and back. He wasn't clueless, but he wasn't really catching in on the details, either.

I sighed, figuring it was my turn to step in. He was _my _dad, after all. Here goes nothing.

"Cha-er, Dad, Jacob and I are going out now," I admitted in a small voice. I averted my eyes, staring at Jacob's large forearm muscle to distract myself, to calm my pounding heart.

A long, uncomfortable silence ensued before Charlie spoke up.

"Well, I can't say that I didn't see it coming," Charlie grumbled reluctantly; clearly, he wanted to object, but he couldn't; it was Jacob that I was dating, which was the best thing that had happened to me in awhile, and Charlie knew that. "As long as you don't pull another disappearing act on us again," he cautioned, once again hinting Jacob's deficiency.

Jacob flashed him a grin, and squeezed my hand. "Definitely not. I'll be around for awhile." He smiled in my direction. "Or, as long as she wants me around, I guess."

Charlie rolled his eyes, and turned up the volume on the television, blocking out the mushy look that we exchanged.

Jacob cleared his throat, and we broke the moment. "So… Bella and I'll be taking off now, if that's okay."

Charlie looked up from the game. "Wait a sec. Does Billy know?"

Jake understood what he meant. "Yeah, he does. I told him this morning." He grinned surreptitiously. "I suspect you'll be hearing from him soon."

Charlie grimaced. "Guess I will." He increased the volume, effectively ending that conversation.

* * *

"See? What'd I tell you?" Jacob chuckled, slinging his long arm over my shoulder as he pulled out of the driveway, one hand on the wheel. "He didn't freak out at all."

I rolled my eyes, but I was honestly relieved to get that conversation out of the way. Charlie had a reputation for throwing things wildly out of proportion, a trait that he had apparently passed onto me. I sighed, content, and leaned into Jacob's warm shoulder. He squeezed me to his side.

"It went a lot better than I thought it would," I allowed. "I'm just glad that we didn't have to, y'know, sneak out secretly because he didn't approve.

Jacob grinned smugly. "He wouldn't freak. I knew it." His grin widened playfully. "How could he not approve of me?"

I shook my head pursing my lips holding back a smile. Jacob _was_ fairly irresistible, with his sunny aura, but lately it had been dampened by his current occupation. I intended to try to bring that carefree side back out of him, now that we were even closer.

We spent the rest of the drive in comfortable silence, immersed in our own insubstantial thoughts.

Pulling into the driveway, he parked in the small garage, and as soon as he shut the car off, he crushed me against his muscular chest, binding me to him. He pressed his face into my hair, and I squeezed him back fiercely, so glad that we were in this position, mentally and physically.

"Bella?"

"Hm?"

"I know we didn't really get to talk about… _why_ this happened, but I'm just kind of curious." He pulled back to look at me. "What made you change your mind?"

I appraised him for a moment, letting my mind wander back to the past, but not too far; I wasn't _completely_ healed yet.

"I think that… the feelings that I had for you romantically were always there." I struggled for words that would make him understand. "We've always had a strong bond, but I think it took me awhile to… to accept that it was in a romantic way that I was attached to you." He nodded, taking it in. I continued. "I mean, we've always been best friends, but I think it was bound to turn into more."

Jacob smiled at me knowingly, a glinting sparkle in his dark eyes. "I hoped it would turn out this way." Sighing voluntarily, he squeezed my shoulder. "You know that I've wanted you for awhile now."

I laughed quietly. "Yes. Didn't you mention something about being annoyingly persistent?"

He snorted good-naturedly, remembering. "Something like that."

I laughed quietly, and then sighed, remembering that fateful day. "I don't deserve your persistence."

Jake's mood changed abruptly, his dark eyebrows pulling down, throwing his eyes into shadow. "Don't talk like that, Bells. That's not true at all."

I looked into his back eyes sadly, resting my cheek against his shoulder. "You're way too good for me, Jake. I'm still a mess, and yet you stick around, knowing…" I trailed off and sighed again, wanting to say something else, but deciding against it.

"Knowing?" Jacob probed.

"Knowing that I don't have much to give you," I whispered, avoiding his eyes, not wanting to see his reaction.

There was a quick moment of silence, and then I heard a quiet, unbelieving sound.

"Bella, did you honestly think that I didn't know that?" he said incredulously. I looked up in time to see him shaking his head. "I'm not stupid. I can read the signs, even though you won't really talk about it."

I frowned, not seeing his logic. "But… if you know that I'm still hung up on him, why did you go ahead with this?" I gestured to both of us, signaling our newly-budded relationship.

"Well, why did you kiss me in the first place?" He smiled, lifting up a large hand to stroke my cheek. "If all of your heart was gone, you wouldn't have kissed me." I listened to him wordlessly. "I won't ask for all of you, Bella, but I do want to help you get over him. It's one of my missions."

Honestly, I never did anything to deserve Jacob. Nothing even close.

At that moment, my torn heart strained with gratitude, and I lifted up my head to kiss him, throwing my arms around his neck. He responded, not asking about my spontaneous moment, and we stayed like that for many countless minutes, not heeding the passing time.

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	3. You're Still My Buisness

**Oh my god, I have not updated in so freaking long! If any of you have read any of my other stories, you know that I have an illness that doesn't allow me to update, since I have to concentrate on other things. But THANK YOU for waiting, and I hope you like this chapter! Please comment!**

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"Oh, stop apologizing. I really don't mind."

"I just feel bad, Bells. We almost never go out because of me."

"It's not your fault that Victoria is being particularly difficult."

Jake snorted. "Difficult is an understatement. She's like catching smoke with my bare hands." He shook his head, shuddering at a memory, and turned to look at me. His expression was quiet, unreadable. "But we'll get her, eventually."

I grimaced, agreeing wholeheartedly. "I hope so. It's been going on for too long."

His dark eyes appraised me, taking in my words. "You're right. It's taken a toll on both of us." He reached up, and lightly stroked the dark circles under my eyes. "You're still afraid."

I didn't bother to deny it. Even though I knew perfectly well that Jacob and his werewolf brothers were running patrols and watching over me at night, it didn't ease the worry I felt; not for myself, but for the young men hat were fighting for me. The fear that I felt for myself was minimal, as it always had been. My life meant nothing compared to all of the good people that I surrounded myself with.

My eyes raked over his face; it was tired, and drawn, as well. Like he was carrying a burden that a sixteen year old should not have to shoulder.

"Not for myself," I said simply, not wanting to upset him further with my concerns for his own safety. Jacob was like that; he didn't like me worrying over him. It made him even more anxious to prove that he could take care of himself, and I was afraid that his over-confidence would cost him someday.

"Bella…" he disapproved, understanding what I meant. He started to argue, but I placed my hand over his mouth, silencing him.

"Nope. You're not putting you two-sense in on this one," I said firmly, but I smiled at him. "Let's just drop the subject."

He kissed my hand with his warm lips, and pulled it away from his face. "Deal. What do you want to talk about, then?"

I considered that, while aimlessly looking around the Blacks' small living room. We were cuddled up on his small loveseat, watching the TV on mute, so we could talk easily. It was a typical day for Jacob and I; just hanging out around his house, or lounging around at mine. In the past three weeks since we had officially gotten together, our time with each other had been somewhat limited, with the wolves on red alert, and when we got to spend time alone, we ended up watching TV or just chatting. It didn't bother me that we hadn't gone out on a real date yet; as long as I was with Jacob, it didn't matter where we were or what we were doing.

"I'm not sure. Do you want to take a walk on the beach or something?"

Jake considered that, with a sort of hesitant air about him, like he really didn't feel like it, but was willing to do it if that was what I wanted. I backtracked quickly.

"Or, we can just hang out around here, that's fine with me." I watched his tired eyes carefully. "We can take a nap; how does that sound?"

He snorted. "Thrilling way to spend our time together."

I frowned, punching him lightly in the shoulder. "Do you have a better idea?"

Jacob laughed ruefully after a minute. "Nope. You got me." He stretched, his bones cracking loudly in the process, shooting me a glance. "You wanna crash on the couch or my bed? I'm guessing the bed would be more comfortable; this thing is tiny." He patted the cushions beside him with a apologetic grin.

As much as I wanted to take a much-needed nap, a thought dawned upon me. Sleeping together, in Jacob's bed, with him right next to me, possibly with his arms around me, had a signifigance that I hadn't thought of yet. That step was something that I wasn't ready to do with Jacob, not yet.

I blushed faintly, and looked away, wondering how to phrase my thoughts. Jacob caught on after a second, putting together his words and my pink cheeks.

"I didn't mean it like _that_ Bella." He paused. "Not yet, at least. Just honestly sleeping."

I met his understanding, earnest eyes, my blush dimming slightly. "Are you sure that it won't… go anywhere? I mean.." The heat flooded my cheeks again.

Jacob rolled his eyes exasperatedly. "We've been dating for, what, three weeks? You know me. I'm not like that."

I nodded; Jacob wasn't one to take advantage of me, not if it was something I really didn't want to do. It wasn't like the idea of taking that step with Jacob wasn't appealing to me; it was just too early in the relationship for that.

"Yeah." I sighed, stifling a yawn in the process. "Sorry, I know it's not like that." I heaved myself off of the couch, forcing my tired limbs to move, trying to walk off the pins and needles. Jacob followed suit, cracking his shoulders tiredly. He slung a long arm over my shoulder casually, pulling me into the short hallway, and into his room.

* * *

"Edward…Edward. Let me in. I need to talk to you."

Alice's shrill voice knocked on my hotel door, disturbing my deep contemplation. I sat up, smoothing out the papers strewn across the extensive bed, tucking them quickly into a folder. I wasn't exactly sure how Alice would take my plans to track Victoria. Besides, I wasn't having much luck. She was like trying to catch smoke with your bare hands.

"Come in, Alice."

The door opened, and Alice stepped in quickly, shutting the door behind her.

"Hi, Edward," she said softly, flitting over to my bedside. "How… how are you doing? I haven't seen you in... months." Her wide eyes were sincere and worried. I wouldn't meet her gaze, so I toyed with the folder in my hands. My absence had my whole family worried for my health, and I didn't blame them. Lately, it took all I had not to curl up on the floor and let my misery eat away at me. Searching for Victoria was all I had to keep me distracted, to keep me sane.

"I'm all right." That was an overstatement. "What are you doing here?"

It was Alice's turn to look away. I waited, sensing her discomfort. Her mind was disconcertingly blank, which was inconvenient; she was being careful with her thoughts around me.

"Alice?" I prompted, shaking her shoulder lightly. "What's wrong?"

She fiddled with the hem of her dress, and finally met my worried gaze. "I talked to our family, and they thought that this should be kept from you as long as possible." She bit her lip, watching my eyes narrow and my body tense automatically. Exactly what did they want to hide from me? She went on. "But I thought that you had the right to know. I mean, it is more of your business than ours."

I sat up, my mind racing. The only thing that I truly cared about anymore was… Bella.

"Is it her?" I asked stonily. Alice knew what I meant. She nodded her head.

I gripped her shoulder, my careful visage fading. "Alice, what's the matter with her? Is she all right?" My eyes searched her face frantically. "Tell me!"

Alice's eyes widened. "Edward, hold on. She's fine, her health is fine. Calm down." My attitude had caught her off guard; I had never really shown how desperately lost I was to anyone.

"Then what's the matter?"

Alice sucked in a breath. "I don't want you to freak out, Edward. Remember, this is what you wanted."

I almost groaned in exasperation. "_Please _just tell me, Alice, I'm dying over here."

"Bella has a boyfriend."

Bella…

Bella has a… _boyfriend?_

That's not... _me?_

If I had been able to rationally think at the moment, I would have realized that this is what I had wanted for her, the whole reason that I left her. I had hoped that she would move on, but it was a twisted ego blow to see that she had been able to forget about me.

"Ah," I choked out, trying to get a grip on the grief that was threatening to take me over. I had to wait… I had to wait until she was gone, and then I could quietly go to pieces. Alone. Already, I wanted to scream like I was being tortured.

Because, in truth, I was. I could never imagine Bella with anyone else but myself, as selfish as that was. Without Bella, every second that ticked by was muted agony.

To add to my revere, mental images began to form in my head, spreading out and making themselves comfortable. Beautiful, radiant Bella holding a faceless man's hand, Bella in the arms of this man, locking lips with him and whispering his name in her sleep…

I cringed, trying to block out these images. Coming out of my own shell of despair, I found Alice staring at me with eyes full of pity and worry. I scrambled around, trying to re-assemble my thoughts.

"Who… is he?" Please, _please_ say anyone but Mike Newton.

She pursed her full lips. "I'm not sure, though he did look like one of those kids from the reservation. Down in, uh, La Push." She said the last part hurriedly, like she was hoping I wouldn't hear it.

Unconsciously, my hands balled into fists, as the faceless man took on a more masculine form, with dark, russet skin and black hair, like all of them had down _there_.

"She's dating a _Quileute_?" I growled, a snarl escaping my lips. Alice nodded somberly.

"Or so it looked like. Though I wouldn't go jumping to conclusions on his… status." Her voice was full of implications. "The dog smell was around, but living down there, it's bound to rub off on you, even if you're not a wolf." She sniffed disdainfully.

My thoughts flew wildly. It was possible that Bella's new man wasn't a dog, but it was Bella! She was such a danger magnet, who at one point was dating a vampire! The chances were just too high.

Another thought came to me. "What if he is, though, Alice? Do you understand what that means if he gets angry around her?"

She grimaced. "I do. But honestly, Edward, is she really any of your business now?"

I had always assumed that she was my business, and even when we were apart, she still belonged to me somehow, right? I was her first love, and we had a bond like no other. I saved her from certain death and vampirization. We had a whirlwind romance, and I was sure that she was the one for me.

I mulled over for that a bit. "I guess not. But I still want her to _live_." I shuddered at the thought of her boyfriend transforming and possibly harming her.

Alice frowned at me. "Edward, if you want to have a prayer at a happy life, you're going to need to get over her."

I nodded. I was well aware of that.

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**Thank you for reading! Please comment!**


	4. Even Vegas Wouldn't Help

**Hiya :) heres the next chapter, its really short but I couldn't get the rest of the chapter to flow, so i figured that this would be better than nothing. i promise more next time! Thanks, please review.**

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**Edward POV**

"A _Quileute_? Of all of the people-!"

"Edward, please! Sit down. You're giving me a headache."

I stopped pacing, and ran my hand through my hair, frustrated. Alice had decided to stay with me, out of moral support and the fact that she probably was afraid to leave me alone, in case I went on some kind of destructive rampage. Truthfully, I _had_ been known to do that.

She gave me a condescending look. "I know this isn't the best news in the world, but can't you just accept that Bella is dating one of our sworn enemy's? Okay, that sounds bad, even to me, but there has to be a better way to deal with this. Maybe Vegas-?"

I snorted. "No Vegas. Alice, are you sure you couldn't see his face?"

Alice glared at me from her perch on the hotel bed. "I'm positive. I looked in the window, and his back was facing me. I told you, all I could see was strong, muscular shoulders, and black hair. Big guy, shirtless. Bella was on his lap. That's all."

I grimaced at the thought of Bella all over him. "Do you think we would know him?"

Groaning, Alice fell back onto the bed, throwing her skinny arm over her face exasperatedly. "If I _knew _who he was, Edward, I would have told you by now," she grumbled.

I frowned. "What about Jacob Black? He and Bella were good friends before I left…"

She shook her inky-haired head. "No way. He was so much taller than Jacob. More muscular, too."

I nodded. Bella had made it clear that nothing would ever happen between them. Jacob Black had other ideas, but I doubted that it would ever go beyond a crush with him.

**thanks for reading, please review :)**


	5. Is it Time Yet?

**Heeeyy! So this chapter is longer, as promised. I hope ya like it :) Please R&R!**

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**Bella POV**

Running my fingers through my damp, clean-smelling hair, I sat down on my bed, and picked up one of the magazines that Angela had left when she was at my house earlier today. Lying back on my pillows, I adjusted the reading light and flipped open the cover page of the teen magazine that Angela liked to pour through. Personally, I was impressed with my ability to be normal around my old friends again. It barely took any effort now to be cheerful and _myself_. Of course, I barely saw people like Jessica or Eric, but that was fine with me. I preferred hanging out with Angela and Ben, who never gave me weird looks or questioned me when I got quiet and contemplative. I liked that best about them.

Yawning, and opening the pages of the magazine, I was surprised to see the print date of the subscription. It was already the end of May? That meant that Jacob and I had been together for a little more than a month. I stared at the page for a bit, shocked. I had no idea that we had been together for that long. It seemed like just yesterday that I had taken the courageous steps to making a relationship with Jacob.

Sighing, and shaking my head nostalgically, I read through the rest of the teen articles, until I came across one in particular. My eyes widened and I paused, unsure if I wanted to read the article or not.

A hot blush creeped up my cheeks as I read on. Oddly, I felt a bit guilty, as if someone would bust into my room and catch me reading the article with a certain someone on my mind-

A loud rap on my window made me jump, and my thoughts immediately jumped to Victoria. But, a split second later, logic took over my terror, and I realized that she would not just merely stroll up to my window and rap on it. It had to be Jacob.

Hastily tucking my magazine under my pillow, I jumped out of bed and tiptoed to the window, careful not to wake Charlie because of the late hour. Peering into the dark, I recognized Jacob's familiar features, perching on the limbs of the tall tree outside. Carefully, I eased the window open, and stepped aside, waiting for Jacob to launch himself into my room, agile as ever. A second passed, and then he appeared at my window and landed with a soft thud on my floor, a grin on his face.

The last time Jacob had appeared like this, he had come to bring good news, that we could still be friends. I hoped that this late night visit would bring good news, too.

When we had both assessed that Charlie was still in a deep slumber, Jacob pulled me into his warm arms, holding me against his chest. I sighed, breathing in his comforting, natural scent, and hugged him back.

After a moment, he pulled away, and held me at arms length, staring into my eyes. "I have good news," he whisper-announced, his white teeth flashing against his dark skin. "Well, it's okay news. But it's a start."

I frowned. "What are you talking about? Here," I sat down on my bed, and patted the space beside me. "Sit down and you can explain."

Jacob eased himself onto the mattress beside me, wincing slightly. He explained, "Sam had us running hard today, so I'm a bit sore. But it was worth it." I encouraged him with a nod, and he went on.

"So today, we caught up with the female, finally." My eyes widened, and I found myself unable to fit my mind around that concept. Victoria was elusive and cunning, always slipping out of their grasp. Jacob frowned. "No, not like that. We didn't actually destroy her, because she got away. But before she could go, Sam got a huge chunk of her. Really knocked her off of her high horse." Jacob shook his head. "I bet she's not so confident now that she's impaired."

I sat there, digesting the information. "How… much of her did Sam get?" I asked slowly.

"Her right arm and shoulder, and a piece of her hip. Vampires may be speedy and hard to destroy, but they can be hindered. This injury will definitely slow her down, since we burned the pieces. She doesn't have a chance of getting them back." He smiled at me, a confident look on his face.

I smiled back, thanking the werewolf gods, or whoever, that Jacob and his buddies had made it out safely. I could just imagine Victoria, her flaming hair and crazed, blood-red eyes locked on her prey, and the thought sent a shiver down my spine. I had to give the pack credit for their bravery and their commitment to hunting down the vampire that threatened my life constantly.

Jacob shot me a strange look. "What are you thinking about?"

I rearranged my face. "Well, it's just that… I'm grateful to you and your pack. I mean, since Edward left, Victoria had her mind set on taking my life, and if there wasn't a werewolf clan, I'd be dead and gone by now." I shrugged. "I owe you so much."

Narrowing his eyes Jacob gave me a cautious look. After a second, he spoke up. "Um, Bells? Did you just mention Edward without cringing or putting your arm around your middle?"

I considered that. I knew that I was improving, but it was always amazing to see how far I had come since _he_ had left. "Yes," I said, a slow smile spreading across my face, "I _think_ I did." I laughed breathily. "That's strange."

His white grin flashed in the dark, a bit hesitatingly. "Uh…wow. That's…_amazing_." He laughed quietly, too. "I'm really proud of you, Bella. Like, _really_." He grabbed me around the waist and brought me to his warm chest. "I don't think that you realized how much you've changed since you first started visiting me."

I smiled against him. "Didn't you tell me awhile ago that it was one of your 'missions' to help me get over him?"

Jacob nodded thoughtfully against my hair. "Yeah. Hmm. I don't know if I was that helpful, though. I'm barely around." He paused. "You must have gotten over it yourself."

I snorted quietly. "I'm not that strong Jacob. Do you know where I would be now if I didn't have you? Besides dead?" Jacob made a disapproving sound in the back of his throat, like he didn't even like me to joke about it. "I would be clinically depressed, probably even locked up in a crazy house."

Jake kissed the top of my head tenderly. "I _am_ glad you're not in the crazy house. And I'm glad I could help, but you're…" He trailed off, as if he was embarrassed to say whatever he was thinking. I raised my head, and smiled encouragingly at him.

"Yes? I'm what?" I pushed him on.

Jake shook his head. "Nothing. You'll laugh at me."

I put on a serious face. "I promise I won't."

Jacob groaned, and I reached up to stroke his cheek, and I could feel the hot blush on his strong cheekbones. "Tell me, please," I murmured.

He sighed, and looked back at me. "Okay, this sounds weird, but you're… like a gift, Bella. I was happy before I met you, but I was missing something, and when you came into my life." I could feel his blush intensifying under my hands.

I sighed, touched by his feelings for me. I knew that he liked me very much, but I had no idea how devoted he really was, and my heart melted at his words that I knew had taken a lot of effort to express.

"Jacob," I sighed, "that was… surprisingly sweet. Thank you so much."

His bright smile shone in the dark. "Surprisingly? I have a romantic side too, you know," he joked, and he reached up to cradle the side of my face with his big hand.

"I know you do. I love to see that side of you," I murmured, kissing him quickly, but softly. I pulled away from him, and stood up. "I'll be right back," I said unwillingly, not wanting to leave him for too long.

Jacob smirked. "I'm not going anywhere," he replied, and I smiled back at him, leaving the room and closing the door behind me quietly.

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**Jacob POV**

Lying back on Bella's bed, I took a deep breath, trying to calm my heart. It was really embarrassing how much of a hold she had on me. If she asked me to jump off a cliff for her, I would do it in a heartbeat. All of my brothers made fun of me for it, but I didn't really mind.

Something was poking me in the neck, and I lifted my head up, irked. Reaching under her pillow, my fingers found paper. I pulled it out, and in the dim light, I could make out a magazine cover. Smiling at the irony of Bella reading a teen magazine, I flipped it open idly, and found a severely creased page. Curious, I found the page, and let my eyes fall on the title.

_When You Know It's Time to Take Your Relationship to the Next Level?_

My heart skipped a beat, and my mouth opened slightly in shock. Bella had been reading _this_? Quickly, my eyes scanned the words and pictures on the page. My eyes rested on one picture in particular, and I tried to imagine Bella in the woman's place and me in the man's. The thought filled my mind, and once it was up there, I couldn't get it out. A blush came onto my face, and the picture took on a movie-like quality.

I fell back onto the pillow, throwing my arm over my face. If I wasn't careful, this little fantasy of mine would show on the outside of my body, instead of just inside. I tried to chase the image of Bella removing her shirt in my arms and making those sexy noises out of my mind, thinking of other things.

Bella's soft footsteps sounded outside of the door, and I quickly stuffed the magazine back, unable to comprehend the conflicting feelings inside of me.

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**Thanks for reading!**

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	6. I Feel Crazy When We Kiss

**Hi, sorry for the wait! Hope ya like the next chapter, please review**

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31) Find the lines that are (a) tangent and (b) normal to the curve at the given point:  
x^2 + xy - y^2 = 1

Chewing on the back of my eraser nervously, I stared at the question, formulating the possible answers in my head before my pencil even touched the paper. The ominous clock on the wall was ticking away the time allotted for my end of the year Calculus exam. I was very close to being done, but I realized that my mind had been drifting earlier, and I now had to rush through the rest.

Scribbling down the formula, I felt an unusual, inapt sense of excitement. The end of the grueling school year was coming to a close, graduation was over, and I was now facing a long summer to spend with my best friend and boyfriend. Things were _almost_ perfect.

_Almost, _because I had a crazed, deadly vampire dodging my wolf friends and trying vainly to take my life. And almost, because no matter how far I had come on the road to recovery, I was still not over Edward Cullen.

I was able to think of his name now, at the very least. That was an improvement, a very impressive one considering where I had started; just a mere allusion to his existence made me want to curl up in a ball and let all of the misery, confusion, and heart-wrenching hurt eat me alive. I had Jacob to thank for that, because without him, I had no idea where I would be right now.

Although I was _healing_, I was not _healed_, and I wondered how long it would take me to find the courage to let go; because I was sure that that was the key. To be fully healed I had to let go of my memories of the time that I spent with Edward Cullen.

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**Jacob P.O.V.**

Heart pumping, I bounded through the forest, hot on the females trail. _Dammit_, I was so close! I could hear her almost-silent footsteps, agilely leaping over logs and ghosting along the forest floor, not a half-mile ahead of me.

_Careful, Jake_, Sam warned in my head, reading my impatient thoughts. _Let's not get too eager…one slip up on our part and she could get away._

_It wouldn't be the first time_, I grumbled, irritated that Sam was calm as always, even at a time like this. _Let's just get her, we don't need the whole pack… I'm tired of letting her slip right through our fingers!_

_So am I, _Sam agreed grudgingly_, but I don't want to unnecessarily risk your life, or mine, when it will take our brothers just a few minutes to catch up. We'll get her Jake, you just have to be patient._

Huffing to myself, I pushed my wolf legs harder before Sam could stop me with his alpha powers. Sometimes, I wished that I could be free of the pack and the responsibilities that came along with it, like having to wait around to hear from your brothers, and having the voices inside your head, hearing all of your secrets. That part sucked a lot, but it was pretty convenient in times like these, when communication was crucial.

In a matter of minutes, Sam was right on my heels, his thoughts disapproving. _Slow _down_, Jacob, _he finally commanded, using his authorities_. Embry and Paul are right behind us._

_Hey, Jake, _Embry greeted me, cautiously enthusiastic. He sniffed the air, picking up the trail that we were following. _Super fresh. I can even hear her._

_Let's get her, _Paul chimed in, excited as ever for confrontation. I rolled my eyes; Paul was such a sucker for a good fight, with his hot temper and all.

_Do you want to take the wings, Embry, Paul? Jake and I can take her head on, but you guys still need to be in a tight position so we can corner her, _Sam planned, his heart rate accelerating as he sped up to get slightly ahead of me.

My brothers responded, but I wasn't paying attention. I sensed a strange disturbance in the air, and I lifted my head, sniffing intently. The trail that I had been so hot on was coming to an abrupt halt about a quarter mile away.

_No_, I thought, my heart sinking. _No! _Where could she _possibly_ have gone now? I growled in frustration as I slowed, bringing the others to a halt along with me.

Sam swore, shaking his massive head. _That vampire… I'm not sure what to do with her. How could she have gotten away? _he mused, mirroring my thoughts of aggravation. After a quick sweep of the area, Sam shuddered slightly, and morphed back to human form, dejected.

"C'mon, guys, you can change back now," he said, his voice quietly disappointed. Silently, Embry and Paul followed suit, their thoughts clearly dissatisfied. I stood there, unsure. I was not willing to accept the fact that she had slipped away again, that little-

"Jake, buddy, it's safe to turn back now," Embry reasoned with me, slipping on his clothes along with the others. "Go on home now."

Silently, I turned my back to my brothers, and started off, back to the reservation, back to reality. Cursing Sam and his safe tactics, I ran through the forest, letting the tree branches that whipped by hit my face, not even realizing. I was going to have to get used to disappointment; I was getting a lot of that lately.

I was grateful, at least, for the presence of the old, beaten up Chevy in my driveway, as I broke free of the forest and into the backyard of my house. My mood lightened considerably as I pictured her eager face in my brain, waiting for me to come home, safe and sound. Bella…

In the cover of the woods, I pulled the heap of clothing tied to my leg with my teeth, releasing it and letting it fall as I phased back into human form. Quickly, I pulled the cutoff sweats over me, pulling on the drawstring against my hips. Breaking into a jog, I went around the house and pulled open the door, calling her name as I went.

"Bella? You here?"

"In your bedroom, Jake!"

Making my way through the small house, I came to my door, and opened it, finding her lying casually on my bed, flipping though a book.

Embarrassingly enough, I was slightly turned on by the way she was lying, on _my_ bed. Her t-shirt was nicely fitted to her body, and it was riding up slightly around her hips, exposing a bit of her toned stomach. I always thought she was beautiful, but she always looked especially nice when she let her long hair down, and at the moment it was fanned out on the pillow. She looked…_sexy_. I blushed, finding myself surprised that Bella didn't even try, and I was already fawning all over her. I was _so_ weak these days.

"Hi," she said, a slow but self-conscious smile spreading across her face as she noticed me appraising mer. "What's the matter?"

I shook my head, disgusted with my obvious gaping, like I was some creepy old man. Mussing up my hair, I closed the door behind me, in case Billy felt the need to spy. That would be just like him to nose in on my business with Bella. Charlie and Billy were gossipers and snoopers, just like old ladies. The thought and mental image made me smile as I turned back to Bella.

"Nothing, nothing. Hi to you too," I added, sliding down next to her, taking the book out of her hands, careful to keep the page that she was on.

"What're you reading?" I asked, curious. She had looked so intent on the book when I had walked in.

"A Jane Austen book, for school. _Sense and Sensibility_." I could feel Bella's eyes on my face as I flipped through the pages idily.

"Is it any good?"

"It's all right. Pretty good, actually. She was an amazing author, but it was written in the early 1800's, so the dialogue can be confusing sometimes." She turned over, snaking her arm around my bare waist. "But enough about that. How was your day?"

I sighed, leaning back on my pillow and looking into her warm, brown eyes. My worries and frustrations all melted when I saw them, and I wondered idly what I was so upset about before. Bella was here, safe in my arms, and the female was off somewhere else, pining her time with a broken hip and arm. I had it pretty good, right about now…

"It was okay. But it's much better now that I'm here with you." I grinned at my own cheesiness, and Bella laughed, reaching up to hug me, her arms tight around my neck. I pressed my face into her sweet-smelling hair, closing my eyes. I craved moments like this, because when I wasn't with her, my heart ached like it was being squeezed. I loved her so much.

.........

Wait… I _loved_ her?

Oh. Well, I already knew that, didn't I? I had loved her for awhile now. But at this perfect moment, I admitted to myself that I was _in_ love with her.

Hadn't I known that for awhile now, too?

Releasing her, I lifted her chin up with one of my hands. Her face was so small, it was almost the size of my hand. But unlike her past lover, I would never hurt her, physically or emotionally, no matter how breakable she may seem.

"Bella," I started, feeling the overwhelming need to voice my thoughts. She had to know this. "You know that I would never, ever hurt you, right?"

She nodded, picking up on my mood, the color on her cheeks deepened slightly. The sight took the words out of my mouth… the color was just so beautiful. I struggled for the appropriate words, and she waited patiently, her heart rate increasing against my chest.

"And you know that… I love you?"

She was silent, her brown eyes staring into my black ones. She seemed to be at a loss for words, her pink mouth parting slightly. I continued, the rush of my confession fueling me.

"I love you Bella. More than you can imagine." My hand moved from her cheek to the back of her neck, bringing her face closer to mine. As our lips closed the space between us, I whispered it again, loving the sound of it, happy it was off of my chest.

As we kissed, our lips moved slowly, meaningfully, but with pent-up passion that set my mind askew. Man, I loved her… she just made me crazy. I never could think straight when she kissed me, and I never thought things could get any better. But… it would make me a million times happier (if that was possible) if she said the words back to me, I was sure of that.

My wish was granted as I slid my body over hers, and her lips left mine momentarily to breathe in my ear;

"I love you too, Jacob Black. You make me so happy, and when you kiss me..." she trailed off, at a loss for words. I stared at her in wonder; was it possible that she felt the same way that I did? That the lightheaded, nosensical feeling wasn't just my own? The need to do something more than kiss...?

That part was probably my own, but I could live with that for the time being.

Bella was blushing even more now, the delicate pink color border lining red. I stared, wondering vaguely what she was thinking of.

"Bella...?"

She took a deep breath, and pulling on the back on my neck, she brough my mouth to hers again. I went along with it agreeably, pleasently surprised when i felt her tongue against my teeth, asking for entry. Of course I let her in, feeling my pants stain ever so slightly. Oh god... this was so wrong, the things that I fantasized when she kissed me so powerfully... but I found myself giving into them, my thoughts being fueled even more as she slid out from under me, transitioning onto my stomach smoothly, pressing herself against me.

When she started making noises in the back of her throat, I let go of any self-restraint I had been able to keep, and my hands slid under her shirt, feeling her smooth stomach, aching to go up higher.

Bella let out a little gasp between our lips, and she broke away to press her lips close to my ear.

"Jacob Black, will you make love to me?"

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**hee hee. I betcha can't wait for the next chapter, huh? mmmm... review!!**


	7. That's What He Would Have Said

**Hello everyone, sorry for the wait. here's the next chapter, hope you like! (and sorry it's kind of short)  
**

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I stared at her in shock, my mouth gaping in shock like an idiot, my hands still under her shirt.

"W… What?" I breathed, not wrapping my mind around the fact that _this_ was what Bella wanted. Of all things, this was what she was after? Sex? I always, in my mind at least, saw me making the first move, me being persistent on the topic, not the other way around. But now that I thought about it, she had made the first move into making a relationship with me, by kissing me in the car. She was a generally unpredictable person, and I should have seen this coming.

Bella's cheeks were pink, but she nodded, her long hair falling on either side of my head. She tucked it back behind her hears. When I did not respond after a moment, she leaned back in and kissed me powerfully, overwhelmingly. _Oh, god_. Bella was so persuasive when she wanted to be, and the fact that she was an amazing kisser did not help matters. It wasn't that I didn't want to; in fact, I wanted to, badly. But I wanted time to think this through, and time was running out to decide.

Was it too early for this? Probably not. We did love and depend on each other to keep our own personal sanity and well-being.

Would it be a mistake? Hopefully not. Sex could only make our relationship stronger, right?

Were we ready for it? Our bodies were telling us that, but I had no idea what was going on up in our brains.

All of the questions in my head had a question mark at the end of them, and that made me uneasy. I let her kiss me for a moment longer, and then I pulled my hands out from under her shirt, and sat up gently, careful not to jostle her.

Immidiately, Bella's eyes filled with doubt and hurt as she saw the hesitation in my eyes. She knew what was going to come out of my mouth next.

"Why not?" she half-whispered, her mouth turning down into a sad expression. "Was it something I did?"

I shook my head quickly. "No, not at all, Bella… it's just that… I mean, it's all my…" I trailed off, and then grunted in annoyance at the lack of words to express myself. "I want to, but I'm not sure if we're ready yet, if it's the best thing at the moment…" I looked into her brown eyes, trying to make her understand.

Her face turned blank for a moment, and I waited anxiously until she spoke up again.

"That… sounds exactly like something _he _would say," she murmured to herself, and looked back up at me, her face clearly showing her hurt and confusion and anger towards my denial. "I thought…" she started, and now she looked like she was going to cry. I opened my mouth to comfort her, but she cut in sharply.

"I thought that this time, it would be different!" she said, her voice a notch below yelling. I looked at her, startled, until I realized what she was talking about; her physical relationship with Edward had been severely limited, and I could only imagine how many times she had been denied by him, as well. I felt really terrible then, wishing I had realized that before.

"Bella…" I started, reaching out to her. She pulled away, yanking down her shirt, and scooping her book up from beside the bed. And with that, she left without a backward glance, but not before I could see the single tear sparkling on her cheek.

I had really hurt her, and I doubted that there was anything I could do to comfort her now. The damage was already done. I sat for a long time, motionless, my mind whirring with regret.

Sinking slowly back onto my pillow, I buried my head in my hands, wondering fearfully how this would affect my relationship with Bella. I could not loose her now, after all that we had been through, after all that she meant to me. What would it take to make her forgive me?

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**hmmm... sex, possibly? We shall see :) please review!**


	8. Its back!

:) Its Baaacccccccccccck!

Sorry about all of the confusion, i had so much work going on... not to mention health issues and such. But soon, ill get this story up and running again. Thanks for all of your persistance, i really appreciate it!

I'll get a new chapter up soon. Thanks everyone! =]


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